The first person to be convicted for operating a revenge porn site has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison, according to the California attorney general's office.
The San Diego man, Kevin Bollaert, was convicted on 27 felony counts of extortion and identity theft in February.
[seealso URL= "http://sale-online.click/2015/02/04/court-convicts-revenge-porn-site-owner/"]
“Today’s sentence makes clear there will be severe consequences for those that profit from the exploitation of victims online,” California's Attorney General Kamal Harris said in a statement Friday. “Sitting behind a computer, committing what is essentially a cowardly and criminal act, will not shield predators from the law or jail. We will continue to be vigilant and investigate and prosecute those who commit these deplorable acts.”
Bollaert, 28, ran a website called ugotposted.com where more than 10,000 explicit photos of women were posted without their permission between 2012 and 2013. Those who submitted the photos -- often hackers and people who were in a prior relationship with the women -- also posted the women's personal information to the site.
Those who wanted their photos removed from the site were redirected to another website, changemyreputation.com, which charged a $250-$350 fee to remove the information. Bollaert collected about $30,000 from his victims through the scheme.
During his trial, Bollaert's lawyer argued he didn't break the law since the photos were originally posted by other people.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press.